Bottled beverage vending machine



June 27, 1950 BOTTLED BEVERAGE VENDING MAHINE A. SHONTZ, JR

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 12, 1948 0 xx xx x/ Jur'e 27, 1950 L. A. SHONTZ, JR

BOTTLED BEVERAGE VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1948 INVENTOR.

A 77'0RNEY.

Patenta d June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Signor, by masne assignments, to 'The Vende Company, JKansa's City, Mo., :a -corporation of `Missouri Application April12, 1948, Serial No. 20,434

6 Claims. l

This invention has to do with machines for automatically vending bottled goods, the primary object being to provide nove'l means 'in the form of an endless conveyor for receiving a plurality of such bottles to be vended directly from a conventional compartmental case 'for such bottles when loading takes place, without the necessity 'of handling such bottles individually.

*The most important-object of this invention is the -provision of a bottle `vending machine having an endless conveyor provided with a pluralityof fiight members, each having -a number of bottle receiving stalls formed therein, said stalls and 'elements being 'so ormed and arranged -as to align themselves at least at one point along the conveyor where the same will receive 'bottles directly from a compartmental case.

Another important object of -this invention is to provide a bottle vending machine having a plurality of stalls for the -bottles, arranged in side-by-side rows and mounted upon an endless conveyor, such stalls being in direct alignment with bottles of a compartmental case when loading takes place and along at least one Stretch of the conveyor.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a bottle vending machine of the nature above set forth wherein the bottle receiving stalls are ormed in the flight elements of a conveyor, said elements being `so mounted as to be disposed substantially horizontally along the ascending and the 'descending portions of the conveyor. v y

A further object of this invention is the provision of a bottle vending machineof the -aiorementioned character having novel 'two-point pivotalmeans of connection whereby the bottle receiving stalls are substantially .horizontal throughout a 'greater portion of the length of the conveyor, said connections being so formed as to permit re'latively close arrangement of the elements and the stalls and also to permit fiaring out and clearance as the elements move around the ends of the conveyor.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a bottle vending machine having means provided with releasable parts for holding the bottles within the stalls throughout the length of the conveyor.

Other more minor objects relate to specific details of Construction of 'the bottle receiving stalls to permit easy loading; the way in which means is provided to 'release the bottle individmanner illustrated in Fig. 1.

ually at the will of the operator; 'and other details of construction which will be made clear during the course of the 'following specification.

In the drawing: I'ig. 1 is a vertical. 'cross-sectional View 2 "through the ca'binet of a bottle vending machine .for compartment cases made in accordance with -my present invention, showing the conveyor assembly partia'lly in lelevation and partially in section.

Fig. `2 isa fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on irregular line 'II-'II of Fig. 1 looking in 'the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a ragmentary, cross-sectional View taken on irregular :line III-:IE o'f Fig. 1 looking in the direction =of =the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a top `plan'view of one of the flight elements perse when .the same is disposedalong the :descending Stretch 'of 'the conveyor, parts being broken away and in section to reveal details oi construction' Of the bottle receivng stalls.

Eig. 5 is 'a cross-sectional-view taken on irregular lin'e V-Vpf Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the 'arrows. i

Fig. 6 is across-:sectional *View taken on line :of Big. looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fg. 2'7 a detailed cross-sectiona'l 'view taken on line "VII- moi -Fi'g. 2.

"The :particular type .aof case ll] :containing the Operating parts of :the vending machine about to be .described is :of no particular significance to this inven'tion *and is shown .for illustrative purposes only. i

This case lo vis hollow, pre'ierably 'polygonaL and dispo'sed in an upright :condition in the The walls forming case :to .are of double oonstruction'and provided with :suitable "insul'ation l;2 in the usualmanner. The n'orma'llyfront wall M of the 'case or cabinet =ll hasa loading openin 16 formed therein and a discharge opening l8, all as will hereinafter be made mone clear.

A pair o'f spaced "apart, 'sulostantially parallel, horizontal shafts 20 'and ?22 respectively, are mounted within 'the case lil "in the manner 'illustrat'e'd .in rEig. *3 of 'the drawing. These two sh'afts :25 and 22 pass 'through the side Walls of :the :case lil ;an'dare journalled in suitable bear- -ings ?2 1 adjacent 'the ends thereof and secured directly to the enter-most face of cabinet lil. Only bearings 2-4 orshafit :2 0 are .illustrated 'in Fig. 3 .and such :rotatable moun'ting means for shaft 22 may be of `the rsame or similancharacter.

The shaft 2& is provided with a pair of fspaced apart :spro'oket 'wheels .2-5 while the shaft 22 'has sprocket wheols 28 ;Secured directly thereto and adjacent'the innermost faces of respeotiveproxi- .The sprocketsezi of the `shaft zt are in direct alignment :respectively With the :sprockets 233 of shetit 22 and a `:pair of spaced a-apa-rt chains 38' are looped over pairs oi the spreckets 26 andzs. At least one-'of theshafts ?l o- 22 is driven, and

in the instanc shown, a motor 32, Secured to the case [6, is in direct driving relationship with the uppermost shaft 20.

A plurality of fiight elements broadly designoted by the numeral 34, span the distance between and interconnect the two spaced apart conveyor chains 30. These elements 34 are formed in the manner detailed in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 and include a pair of spaced, substantially flat, rectangular ends 36. The normally innermost ends of these members 36 are provided with a pair of opposed laterally extending ears 38 and 40.

The ear 38 has an elongated slot 42 formed therein while ear 40 has an opening 44. The ear 36 is outwardly oifset slightly as at 46 for purpose hereinafter made more clear, while the ear 4!) is in the same plane as the main body portion of the end wall 36 of ,element 34. The two ends 36 of flight elements 34 are interconnected by a plurality of separators 48, 50 and 52. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, all of these separators 48, 50 and 52 have their peripheral edges rebend to present a continuous flange therearound and this lange portion is welded or otherwise Secured directly to the end walls 36 as indicated at 54.

The two separators 48 and 56 disposed near the normally outermost ends of the walls 36 each have a plurality of openings 56 formed ther-ein in spaced apart relationship throughout their lengths. These openings 56 of the separators 46 and 50 are in direct relative alignment and are provided with a continuous inturned annular flange 58 stamped directly into the material from which the separators 48 and 50 are formed. All of the separators 48, 50 and 52 are substantially parallel, the separators 48 and 50 being relatively close together while the Separator 52 is disposed adjacent the normally innermost ends of the walls 36 and next adjacent to the laterally extencling ears 38 and 40. The Separator 52 is likewise provided with a plurality of openings 60, such openings being like in number with the openings 56 and in relation alignment therewith. The openings 60 formed in the Separator 52 are substantially frustoconical and formed-by stamping within the material from which the Separator 52 is made, a number of laterally extending tabs 62.

The apex of these openings 60 formed by the inclined tabs 62 is next adjacent the ears 38 and 40 presenting an opening 60 that is smaller than openings 56, but in corresponding co-axial alignment therewith.

It is clear from the foregoing that the openings 56 and 60 present individual stalls for bottles 64 with the neck of such bottles 64 projecting into the relatively small openings 60 and eX- tending a distance therebeyond. The enlarged portion of neck of the bottle 64 rests upon the inclined tabs 62 defining the opening 60 with the normally uppermost end of the bottle 64 extending a distance beyond the opening 60 and the tabs 62. The bottom portion of the sides of bottle 64 is circumscribed by the openings 56 within the separators 48 and 50 when this bottle 64 is in such stalls.

The chains 30 are each provided with a plurality of spaced apart pintles 66 for receiving and pivotally mounting the flight elements 34. These pintles pass through the slots 42 and openings 44 of the elements 34, the slots 42 of one element 34 being mounted upon the same pintle 66 that receives the ear 40 of the element 34 next adjacent thei-eto. In other words, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, each of the ears 38 of the elements 34 overlaps the ear 40 of the element 34 next adjacent thereto, with the slots 42 and 44 respectively in register and receiving a pintle 66. When the flight elements 34 are disposed along the ascending and the descending portion of the conveyor, the pintles 66 are all disposed adjacent the outermost ends of all of the slots 42. When the elements 34 approach the sprockets 26 and 28, these pintles 66 move toward the innermost ends of the slots 40, thereby providing clearanoe and causing the elements 34 to spread apart in finger-like fashion in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

It is contemplated that all of the stalls formed in the elements 34 of the conveyor be loaded by dumping the bottles 64 directly thereinto from a conventional case 68 therefor. This case 68 is compartmental, presenting a. plurality of rows of bottles 64, there being four rows of six bottles each in the type of the case 68 chosen for illustration. Accordingly, each of the elements 34 is provided with six stalls for the bottles 64 and when the case 68 is moved through the opening !6 in cabinet I0 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, four of the elements 34 will becompletely filled with bottles 64 from a single case 68. This case 68 is moved to a position where the uppermost ends of the bottles 64 extend into the openings 56 of the Separator 48 and as the case is ;further tilted upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1, al1 of the bottles 64 will fall by force of gravity into the stalls by passing through the openings 56 of Separator 50 and thence into the openings 60 of the Separator 52. When one case 68 has been emptied of the bottles 64, the conveyor is rotated by energizing the motor 32, whereupon four additional elements 34 are disposed in alignment with the opening !6 for receiving another case having 24 bottles therein.

The direction of rotation of the conveyor formed by the sprockets 26 and 28, the ohains 38 and the elements 34 is ndicated by an arrow in Fig. l. To the end that the bottles 64 will remain in their stalls formed within the elements 34, along the ascending Stretch of the conveyor, these elements 34 are disposed in an upwardly tilted position. This is accomplished not only by mal;- ing the sprockets 26 of a smaller diameter than that of sprockets 28, but further by disposing the shafts 26 and 22 in relative oset relationship to the vertical. In other words, a line passing through the shafts 26 and 22 and perpendicular thereto is at an angle to the vertical front and back walls of g cabinet !6. Finally, the longitudinal axis of the stalls for bottles 64 formed in the elements 34 are at an angle to the stretches of chains 30.

From the foregoing, it is clear that as the bottles 64 approach the sprockets 28 they will attain a truly horizontal position, pass to a, point directly below sprockets 28 to a vertical, upright position, pass toward the ascending stretch of the conveyor and again be horizontal at point adjacent the sprockets 26. At the top of sprockets 26, the bottle 64 will be vertical and inverted.

Thus, holding means to maintain bottles 64 in their stalls is needed along portions of the conveyor. At the back of cabinet iii opposite to wall !4 and underlying sprockets 28, are disposed six elongated J-shaped rods '10. These rods '40 are in lignment with the bottoms of bottles 64 and serve to prevent outward movement thereof from the elemnts 34,' the bottles '64 sliding on rods 16 as the conveyor moves. i

A plate 12, extending betwen the ehd'walls of cabinet m and Secured "th'eretc 'by anchoring .means 2 .3 is disposed at the-lowermostiend of the 'a nun'ber-'of dispensing gates' 18. "These gates 18 'aredisposedbetweentheplate na and thexro'ds lil, there being a panel 8% extending across cabinet n, and extending from rods ill, through opening 18 and terminating exteriorly of wall M. A bracket 82 on this wall !4 supports the outermost end of panel 8!) and an upturned bumper 34 on panel 80 receives dispensed bottles 64 as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Obviously, any of a number of well-known assemblies may be used to dispense bottles 64 from the conveyor mechanism above described. Since such assembly for delivering the bottles singly to a purchaser inserting a coin into the machine forms no part of this invention, the one chosen for i-llustration will be described only briefly.

This assembly is precisely as ully described in pending application Serial No. 5,884, filed February 2, 1948. There is a, gate 18 for each of the six stalls in elements 34, and each gate s has a disc-like cam member 86 disposed to normally hold its gate 78 closed. Cams 86 are rigid to a common shaft 88 and have their peripheries normally bearing `against one leg of the respective gate 18, the latter of which is L-shaped in cross section. Each cam 86 has a notch ea formed therein to permit opening of the gate 18 when such notch registers with the outturnecl legs of gate 78.

Shaft 88 is driven by a motor 92 and as shaft 88 is rotated, gates 18 wi-ll open in succession since notches 90 of the cams 86 are offset relatively when cams 86 are monuted on shaft 88.

When shaft 88 has rotated a complete revolution, whereupon all bottles 64 of a given element 34 are evacuated therefrom, suitable electrical elements including a switch 94 come into operation to energize motor 32 and cause the conveyor to move -another element 34 into a dispensing position adjacent gates 78. A notched cam 96 on shaft 88 controls a switch 98 that in turn controls motor 92 to assure the rotation of shaft 88 a distance sufiicient to release but one gate 18 for each coin insertion in a suitable coin control assembly (not shown).

After a given gate 18 is released, the weight of bottle 64 hearing thereagainst will open the same, bottle 54 sliding downwardly along panel 88 to purchaser access at bumper 84. As cam 86 continues to rotate, its edge will again force gate 13 closed for receiving the bottles of the next flight element 34.

Trap doors (not shown) should be provided for the opening [8 and a suitable closure for opening !6 is needed to maintain cabinet n sealed, since a refrigeration unit will ordinarily be associated therewth in the usua manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

i. In a, bottle vending machine of the kind set forth, a movable, endless conveyor; a plurality of racks carried by the conveyor; and a number of bottle-receiving stalls formed in each of said racks respectively, said stalls having outwardly disposed open ends, said racks and said stalls 6 being ::forme'd anddispose'd :for ralignment-along at least onesstretch of the :conveyor orlreceiving *one 'end of ;said bottles &while the a opposite ;ends thereof a'e ;disposed ;in ;a compartmental icas therefor while loading .takes place. ln'a''bottle attending machine of :the :kindsset 'for-th, a :movable, `endless 'conveyor; na :plurality of racks carried ::by the conveyor; ;and a (number of bottle-:reciving ;stalls formed .in :each .of ;said racks respectively, =said stalls :having `outwardly *disposedopenenda said racks and .saidcstalls being formed and disposed :for alignmentialong at :least one str-.etchiof the conveyor for receiving one end of said bottles while opposite ends thereof are disposed in a compartmental case therefor while loading takes place, said stall being tilted upwardly along said Stretch of the conveyor for holding the bottles in place when dumped into the stalls from said case.

3. In a bottle vending machine of the kind set forth, a movable, endless conveyor having an ascending and descending stretch; a plurality of flight elements forming a part of said conveyor; a number of bottle-receiving stalls having outwardly facing open ends and formed in each of said elements respectively, said elements and said stall being arranged to present uniformly spaced rows of stalls along at least one of said stretches whereby said rows of stalls align with the bottles of a compartmental case therefor when loading the stalls with bottles.

4. In a bottle vending machine of the kind set forth, a movable, endless conveyor having an ascending and a descending stretch; a plurality of night elements forming a part of said conveyor; a number of bottle-receiving stalls having outwardly facing open ends and formed in each of said elements respectively, said elements and said stalls being arranged to present uniformly spaced rows of stalls along at least one of said stretches whereby said rows of stalls align with the bottles of a compartmental case therefor when loading the stalls with bottles, said conveyor including a pair of spaced fiexible loops, said elements having a two-point pivotal connection with each of said loops for holding the stalls substantially horizontal along said stretches.

5. In a bottle vending machine of the kind set forth, a movable, endless conveyor having an ascending and a descending stretch; a plurality of flight elements forming a part of said conveyor; a number of bottle-receiving stalls having' outwardly facing open ends and formed in each of said elements respectively, said elements and said stalls being arranged to present uniformly spaced rows of stalls along at least one of said stretches whereb-y said rows of stalls .align with the bottles of a compartmental case therefor when loading the stalls with bottles, said conveyor including a pair of spaced fiexible loops, said elements having a two-point pivotal connection with each of said loops for holding the stalls substantially horizontal along said stretches, one of said pivotal connections of each element being common with the proximal connection of the element next adjacent thereto.

6. In a bottle vending machine of the kind set forth, a movable, endless conveyor having an ascending and a descending stretch; a plurality of flight elements forming a part of said conveyor; a number of bottle-receiving stalls having outwardly facing open ends and formed in each of said elements respectively, said elements and said stalls being arranged to present uniformly spaced rows of stalls along at least one of said stretches whereby said rows of stalls align with the bottles of a compartmental case therefor when loading the stalls with bottles, said conveyor including a pair of spaced flexible loops, said elements having a two-point pivotal connection witheach of said loops for holding the stalls substantially horizontal along said stretches, one of said pivotal connections of each element comprising a, slot formed in the element and a pintle on the corresponding loop passing through the slot permitting passage of the elements at the ends of the loops as the latter move. s LORAN ALLAN SHONTZ, JR.

8 -REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,260,578 Ravert Mar. 26, 1918 1,293,410 Goodwn Feb. 4, 1919 1,881,175 DuGrenier Oct. 4, 1932 1,975,364 Kindred et al. Oct. 2, 1934 2,408A44 Payne Oct. 1, 1946 

